IDF attacks in Gaza
IDF attacks in GazaReuters

Israel and Hamas have reportedly agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday.

An Israeli official confirmed to the Hebrew-language Walla! news website that Israel agreed to the temporary ceasefire, to begin at 8:00 a.m. Israel time Saturday morning.

According to the AFP news agency, Hamas has agreed to the ceasefire as well.

"Hamas agrees on a ceasefire for 12 hours starting this morning," a Hamas official told the news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, a U.S. official who is travelling with Secretary of State John Kerry said that Israel had announced a unilateral 12-hour ceasefire in Gaza.

Meanwhile, efforts continue to secure a longer ceasefire, hours after the Israeli Cabinet unanimously voted to reject a proposal for a ceasefire.

Kerry said Friday night he would travel to Paris on Saturday to hold further talks with the foreign ministers of Qatar and Turkey, which exert influence over Hamas.

He will also meet in Paris top French and British diplomats, including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Kerry also indicated that he had not submitted any formal truce proposal.

"They may have rejected some language in the proposal within the framework ... but there was no formal proposal submitted from me," he said.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal declared on Wednesday that Israel must accept his list of unprecedented conditions for a ceasefire in order for any truce to be implemented.

The IDF halted fire for several hours last week in a humanitarian ceasefire, but Hamas took advantage of this and continued to attack Israel.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)